


Sacrifice Of The Heart

by hanorganaas



Series: The Lost Mockingjay [4]
Category: Hunger Games (2012), Hunger Games Trilogy - Suzanne Collins
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst, Community: dailyfics, Male-Female Friendship, Multi, Other, Sacrifice, Victor!AU
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-02-01
Updated: 2013-02-01
Packaged: 2017-11-27 20:28:39
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 894
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/666175
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/hanorganaas/pseuds/hanorganaas
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>How Rue won the 76th Hunger Games.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Sacrifice Of The Heart

**Author's Note:**

> In case people are confused here are points mentioned in the Lost Mockingjay Universe:
> 
> -Katniss' name was called during the 74th Hunger Games and therefore never volunteered for her sister...Gale Hawthorne was reaped with her and died.  
> -Peeta won the 3rd Quarter Quell the Year after.  
> -Thresh won the 70th Hunger Games at 13 making him 19

Rue McCord would have rather been at home in District 11, toiling away in the hot sun. Instead she has spent five days running for her life in the broken city setting that was her was her arena. It is took much for her 12 year old fragile mind to take. She seen people ripped to shreds by their peers, humans devoured by mutts including her own District Partner Jax....it is supposed to be entertainment...it's sick!

She is still surprised she has even lived this long. Usually the 12 year olds were the first to go in the games. Yet she discovers after 21 cannons fired she is one of three left. She bites her lip as she grips on the sickle Jax have given her in his final dying breaths. She knows in order to go home she has to kill. She doesn't want to do it. She did it before..and her heart broke because of it....she doesn't want to do it again. But she has to....

Suddenly there is a shrill scream jolting her from her thoughts. The next thing she knew there is a tribute Rue recognizes from District 2 falls from the sky and lands at her feet. Her body is riddled claw marks.

Rue is too shocked to scream.

There is another roar. Rue turns her body to find herself staring in the eyes of a mutt. It was huge five times bigger than District 11's most recent victor Thresh. It's eyes are yellow and it has wings. It begins charging at her. She knows there is nowhere to run so she closes her eyes and prepares for death. Instead she hears a voice cry out:

"NO!"

She is shoved to the ground as a pained grunt erupts from her savior. She opens her eyes just in time to see a blonde haired girl fighting off the mutt as best she could. But to no avail...the large mutt slashes her neck hitting a vein before flying off.

Rue crawls over on all fours over to her savior as she falls to the ground. The blood from the wound spilling onto the concrete path.

The first thing she notices is her pin. It's a golden Mockingjay holding a bow and arrow. She unconsciously runs her fingers over it. Rue is no stranger to Mockigjays. They fly all over her district as they sing to her...she sings with them. 

"Y-y-y-you want it," she said struggling to speak, "t-take it."

Rue takes the dying girl's hand into her own. She squeezes it tightly. The girl saved her life, when she could have easily let her die and gone back to her District a winner. The least she could do is give her comfort in her final moments.

"You," the girl paused to gulp her breaths are getting shorter, "you have to do something for me if you take it."

"Anything," she says with tear filled eyes.

"When I die...you'll win this thing..I've, I've seen what happens to victors...my..my two best friends are the two previous victors...they are messes....I don't I want you to be like them...I want you to..."

She never finishes her sentence. She lets out her last final sharp breath as her head slumps to her side. 

Rue takes the Mockingjay pin and places it on her jacket. And as the final canon roars indicating her victory, she rises her feet. Turning her head to the sky, a smile curls on her face.

"I promise!"

\---------------

The mood in the District 11 control room was a happy one. No one could be happier than Thresh Malcolms. It pained his heart enough to know Rue who was good friends with his 12 year old little sister Jade was going to the games especially after what he knew what he went through. To know she is coming home made his eyes swell with tears.

"Thresh," he hears a familiar voice say.

He turns his head and sees Katniss Everdeen. She was mentor to the girl who had just sacrificed her life to save Rue.

"Katniss," he says pulling the young woman into a hug, "I am so sorry about your friend." 

"It's fine I knew Madge wasn't going to win anyway," she said hugging him just as tightly, "I mean Peeta and I just won back to back. There was no way there was going to be a third victor in a row."

Thresh steps back and takes Katniss' hands in his own as a gesture of friendship. After everything she went through during her games he has felt a connection to her as he went through the same thing.

"Are you alright fire girl? I know this is your second friend you lost in three years."

She nods her head and gives him a smile.

"Peeta's a bigger mess...but I'm okay...Madge...she didn't die by losing herself and fighting someone younger than her...she died a hero...to me it was worth losing her."

Thresh smiled through his tears before pulling Katniss into another hug.

"Thank you...thank you so much...for mentoring a tribute with a heart."

"You don't have to say it...you can thank me by helping Rue keep her promise."

And together they would make sure Madge's sacrifice would never be in vain.


End file.
